In Queensland, the 1902 drought was the culmination of eight years that were dry more often than not over most areas. These years had a devastating effect on stock numbers: sheep numbers fell from 91 million to 54 million, and cattle from 11.8 million to 7 million. The drought began focussing minds on irrigation, especially in the three states through which the Murray River flows: but it wasn’t until the next severe drought in 1914 that the River Murray Commission was created.

[addendum] This 1881 article is satirizing one of the more alarmist explanations for the widespread belief of “thoughtful persons” at that time : “The growing heat of our Summers, the drying up of streams, and the increased frequency of hurricanes, yellow fever, and earthquakes have latterly attracted the attention of thoughtful persons.”

Sound familiar? The exact same beliefs being espoused by the alarmist community now.

New climate model taking greater account of cloud changes indicates heating will be at higher end of expectations

Professor Steven Sherwood, at the University of New South Wales, in Australia, who led the new work, said: “This study breaks new ground twice: first by identifying what is controlling the cloud changes and second by strongly discounting the lowest estimates of future global warming in favour of the higher and more damaging estimates.”

“Climate sceptics like to criticise climate models for getting things wrong, and we are the first to admit they are not perfect,” said Sherwood. “But what we are finding is that the mistakes are being made by the models which predict less warming, not those that predict more.”